Beihai Park or North Sea Park is located half kilometer to the west of the north gate of the Forbidden City.Beihai Parkis one of the most popular parks in the city of Beijing. Beihai Park in Beijing is the oldest and best-preserved imperial garden in China. It is one of the best of China's classical gardens with artificial hills, pavilions, halls, temples and covered corridors today.

This huge imperial garden has a history of over 1,000 years. It was originally built in 938 during Liao Dynasty (916 – 1125). Then the park was repaired and rebuilt in the successive dynasties including Jin (1115-1234), Yuan (1279-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Eventually, it becomes the beautiful imperial garden as we see now.

The forming of Beihai Park was inspired by a legendary story. It is said that above the East Sea, there were the three fairyland mountains: Penlai, Yingzhou and Fangzhang. There lived the immortals and a miraculous potion for longevity could be found on the mountains. The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, who reigned from 211 B.C. to 210 B.C., sent people over the sea to the mountains asked for the potion, so did Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty (reigned 140-87 B.C.). However, both of them failed to find it. Longing for immortality, Emperor Wu Di ordered to dig a large lake, which was named Taiye Lake. Three islets modeled after the fairyland mountains were created in the lake from the earth that was dug out. Qionghua Island represents the Penlai fairyland mountain; Circular City and Xishan Platform represent Yingzhou and Fangzhang.

The history of Beihai Park, which has more than 1000 years, had something to do with the development of Beijing City. Emperor Yang Di of the Sui Dynasty (reigned 605-617) had a lake with a circumference of more than a dozen li (1 li equals 547 yards)built near his palace in Luoyang, Henan Province.

In the Liao Dynasty,founded by the Qidans from the North,made Yanjing(now Beijing) its secondary capital in 938. On the northeastern outskirts of the city, there was a vast lake called the "Golden Sea." It was the lake that was to become Beihai Lake.

After the Jin Dynasty drove out the Liao and took over Beijing, Yanjing was renamed as Zhoudu. From 1163 to 1179, Emperor Shi Zong of Jin Dynasty built Qionghua Island. And the emperor ordered to construct artificial hills and caves. And he also built Daning Palace in Yaoyu Arear (Beihai Park). From then on, Beihai has become a imperial garden which we can see today. It was after the Jin Dynasty that Beihai became the nucleus of Beijing.

In Yuan Dynasty, Qiongdao was expanded three times and was renamed as Wanshou (Longevity) Hill. The khan received foreigh diplomats, held ceremonies on festive occasions and issued decrees from there.

In Ming Dynasty, Beihai was expanded and reconstructed again, but it remained the layout in Yuan Dynasty. the Emperor Xuanzhong of Ming Dynasty made large expanding to Longevity Hill and he connected the island with New additions made by the Ming Dynasty included the Daxitian (Great Western skies) Workshop for printing Buddhist sutras, Taishou (Longevity) Hall, Five-Dragon Pavilion and the Nine-Dragon Screen on the northern shore of the lake. In Qing Dynasty, Beihai was also expanded and reconstructed for many years. And a lot of temple and pavilion were built at this time. Beihai today looks much the same as it did under the rule of Emperor Qian Long.

Before Beihai was opened to the public in 1925, it had been closed for more than 10 years for the revolution of China politics.